Crash and Burn
by xKazuko
Summary: Red X is back with some news. A tape he wants destroyed, an apprentice of a fallen enemy, and... What is the tension between him and Starfire? RobxStar, some RavxBB COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 8

No, this won't be much of an intro

No, this won't be much of an intro.. But yes, I am doing chapter two! Thanks to my little reviewer! -waves-

Okay! No ownership -shows empty hands- Uhn hun..

Tah-Dah!

**Chapter 2: Restored Peace**

"Raven.. You have to let him down sometime.." Robin was leant against the wall adjacent to her door, pleading with her to come out and let the whining Beast Boy free.

"I'll let him down when my stomach feels better." She mumbled from the other side of the door. It wasn't like Raven to be so... Immature. Robin raised a brow as he looked helplessly up at Beast Boy's pitiful face; hanging upside down from the ceiling he'd been stuck in.

Star had already tried pulling him out, as had the rest of the crew save Raven. The only way to get him down was to either blast a hole in the floor of Star's room or somehow persuade the witchy Titan to let him down.

"Come on Rae! I'm dying up here! I can totally feel the blood rushing to my head.. In a matter of _minutes_, I'll explode!" His free hand was moving wildly about, using gestures that were meaningless being she couldn't see him.

"Beast Boy will die!? Oh Raven, you must let him down! Surely you do not wish him to expire in such shameful a position!?" Starfire, very worried at Beast Boy's exaggeration, grabbed the arm of his he was flailing about and started pulling it with new vigor. "I will get you down, Beast Boy! Flydengorb as my witness!"

"Ahh! You're gonna tear my arm off! Dude, stoooop!"

Starfire dejectedly let him go and hovered to the ground. "She was just trying to help, man. I think we all need to calm down and think this through a little. Rae, you're being unfair. Get your butt out here and let him go and he'll promise never to make us eat tofu again." The pacifist speaking was Cyborg, who glared up at the green titan when he opened his mouth to protest.

It was quiet for a few moments, and Raven's door cracked open. "Promise?" Her voice practically croaked with pain and her large eyes lifted to Beast Boy nodding his head vigorously, moving his hand over his chest.

"Cross my heart, hope to die-"

"Stick a needle in your eye, yeah yeah.. Just let him out so we can all go back to _sleep_." Cyborg groaned, turning around to walk back up to his bedroom.

"Fine." Beast Boy was enveloped in a black light and removed from the plaster and wood and even metal plates that made up the ceiling. She let him fall from there before slamming her door. The three could hear a slight 'click' of her knock, but the changeling was too busy rubbing his backside where he'd been dropped to make any retorts.

"I have to go to the bathroom.." He whined, limping away.

Robin and Starfire watched him leave. "Robin..." Her voice piqued curiously as her brow furrowed lightly.

"Yeah?" He blinked and looked over at her, a little disappointed in himself for not being the one to settle the argument.

"Why would Beast Boy have the urge to stick a needle into his eye? Would that not be painful?"

Robin chuckled slightly and ran a hand through his hair. "Star.. That's another earth saying.. It doesn't mean it literally.. He was just trying to emphasize that he was telling the truth about the tofu thing."

He watched her as it processed through her mind. "Ooh.. I see, now. Thank you, Robin. I am glad that I have you to help me learn these... Earth sayings." She smiled and he couldn't help but match it. "I think that I will prepare a meal of morning for us all so that we may break fast when everybody else re-awakens!" She clapped her hands together, her eyes lingering on Robin for just a moment before she flitted off towards the kitchen.

Robin was left in the hallway, smiling to himself. It was awhile after he couldn't see her anymore that he realized he was staring after something that wasn't there. He shook himself out of his daze and ran his hand through his hair again.

"See something interesting?"

Ah crap.. He'd forgotten he was standing right in front of Raven's door. How had she opened it without him watching? And how long had she been watching _him_ watch_ Star_ with the dumb grin on his face?

"What?" He turned quickly to Raven, who was smirking in the most antipathetic way possible.

"Boy Wonder, you may want to realize that it's not very hard to see what you're wondering about."

Before he could say anything in return, she had closed her door. Dammit. "I need.. A cold shower or something." He muttered to himself, hanging his head slightly as he walked down the hall to his room.

So Cyborg had pacified the group first? Why? Robin was just as quick-thinking and un-biased as he, why did Cyborg come up with the great plan?

Cold shower would do it. He was unfocused. Starfire's screaming had freaked him out.

Uh huh...

**END**

Ooookay! No introduction of plot yet, but it's coming. -nods- I at least know what it's gonna be, now! XD So.. Just wait a little longer.

READ AND REVIEW! Please! -luff- !


	2. Restored Peace

No, this won't be much of an intro.. But yes, I am doing chapter two! Thanks to my little reviewer! -waves- 

Okay! No ownership -shows empty hands- Uhn hun..

Tah-Dah!   
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Chapter 2: Restored Peace**

"Raven.. You have to let him down sometime.." Robin was leant against the wall adjacent to her door, pleading with her to come out and let the whining Beast Boy free.

"I'll let him down when my stomach feels better." She mumbled from the other side of the door. It wasn't like Raven to be so... Immature. Robin raised a brow as he looked helplessly up at Beast Boy's pitiful face; hanging upside down from the ceiling he'd been stuck in.

Star had already tried pulling him out, as had the rest of the crew save Raven. The only way to get him down was to either blast a hole in the floor of Star's room or somehow persuade the witchy Titan to let him down.

"Come on Rae! I'm dying up here! I can totally feel the blood rushing to my head.. In a matter of /minutes/, I'll explode!" His free hand was moving wildly about, using gestures that were meaningless being she couldn't see him.

"Beast Boy will die!? Oh Raven, you must let him down! Surely you do not wish him to expire in such shameful a position!?" Starfire, very worried at Beast Boy's exaggeration, grabbed the arm of his he was flailing about and started pulling it with new vigor. "I will get you down, Beast Boy! Flydengorb as my witness!"

"Ahh! You're gonna tear my arm off! Dude, stoooop!"

Starfire dejectedly let him go and hovered to the ground. "She was just trying to help, man. I think we all need to calm down and think this through a little. Rae, you're being unfair. Get your butt out here and let him go and he'll promise never to make us eat tofu again." The pacifist speaking was Cyborg, who glared up at the green titan when he opened his mouth to protest.

It was quiet for a few moments, and Raven's door cracked open. "Promise?" Her voice practically croaked with pain and the large eyes lifted to Beast Boy nodding his head vigorously, moving his hand over his chest.

"Cross my heart, hope to die-"

"Stick a needle in your eye, yeah yeah.. Just let him out so we can all go back to /sleep/." Cyborg groaned, turning around to walk back up to his bedroom.

"Fine." Beast Boy was enveloped in a black light and removed from the plaster and wood and even metal plates that made up the ceiling. She let him fall from there before slamming her door. The three could hear a slight 'click' of her knock, but the changeling was too busy rubbing his backside where he'd been dropped.

"I have to go to the bathroom.." He whined, limping away.

Robin and Starfire watched him leave. "Robin..." Her voice piqued curiously as her brow furrowed lightly.

"Yeah?" He blinked and looked over at her, a little disappointed in himself for not being the one to settle the argument.

"Why would Beast Boy have the urge to stick a needle into his eye? Would that not be painful?"

Robin chuckled slightly and ran a hand through his hair. "Star.. That's another earth saying.. It doesn't mean it literally.. He was just trying to emphasize that he was telling the truth about the tofu thing."

He watched her as it processed through her mind. "Ooh.. I see, now. Thank you, Robin. I am glad that I have you to help me learn these... Earth sayings." She smiled and he couldn't help but match it. "I think that I will prepare a meal of morning for us all so that we may break fast when everybody else re-awakens!" She clapped her hands together, her eyes lingering on Robin for just a moment before she flitted off towards the kitchen.

Robin was left in the hallway, smiling to himself. It was awhile after he couldn't see her anymore that he realized he was staring after something that wasn't there. He shook himself out of his daze and ran his hand through his hair again.

"See something interesting?"

Ah crap.. He'd forgotten he was standing right in front of Raven's door. How had she opened it without him watching? And how long had she been watching /him/ watch /Star/ with the dumb grin on his face?

"What?" He turned quickly to Raven, who was smirking in the most antipathetic way possible.

"Boy Wonder, you may want to realize that it's not very hard to see what you're wondering about."

Before he could say anything in return, she had closed her door. Dammit. "I need.. A cold shower or something." He muttered to himself, hanging his head slightly as he walked down the hall to his room.

So Cyborg had pacified the group first? Why? Robin was just as quick-thinking and un-biased as he, why did Cyborg come up with the great plan?

Cold shower would do it. He was unfocused. Starfire's screaming had freaked him out.

Uh huh...

**END**

 **- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -**

Ooookay! No introduction of plot yet, but it's coming. -nods- I at least know what it's gonna be, now! XD So.. Just wait a little longer.

READ AND REVIEW! Please! -luff- !


	3. Return of a Foelly

Okay. I'm /finally/ getting down to writing this. Sorry for the wait... But I'm so bad at the humor thing that I totally procrastinate.  
I've started a couple other ones that I wanted to put out debut chapters of before doing this... But I got bored of all the drama, so I'm taking a break and FINALLY doing chapter three. 

Day after Xmas. Consider this a present. XD

* * *

**Chapter 3: Return of a Foelly** (1) 

"I'm back, princess." Were his words before she blasted him in the face and he was thrown against the far wall with an angry green bolt. (2)  
"We do not enjoy your company Red X and do not wish for your return." She was floating about a foot above the ground, eyes glowing menacingly as she spoke.  
Robin sighed softly and reached up to put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about him this time, Star. He's unarmed." It was true Robin could have stopped her sooner. He'd seen the lack of the utility belt on Red X far before she'd blasted him; but when Starfire had been touched in what could have been a provocative manner and with the coquettish husk of the voice speaking to her, Robin had thought it better to let him have it.

"I'm back, princess." Were his words before she blasted him in the face and he was thrown against the far wall with an angry green bolt. (2)"We do not enjoy your company Red X and do not wish for your return." She was floating about a foot above the ground, eyes glowing menacingly as she spoke.Robin sighed softly and reached up to put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about him this time, Star. He's unarmed." It was true Robin could have stopped her sooner. He'd seen the lack of the utility belt on Red X far before she'd blasted him; but when Starfire had been touched in what could have been a provocative manner and with the coquettish husk of the voice speaking to her, Robin had thought it better to let him have it. 

Jealous? Of /course/ not.

She blinked a couple times, but returned to the ground as the other masked boy slowly stood up, groaning slightly. "What do you want?" Robin's eyes were narrowed as he moved to stand opposite Red X. (3)  
"Would it have killed you to help me up?" Teasing. The boy was still mocking the group as he stood at their definite mercy. "Want us to help you on your way to He-"  
"Beast Boy.. Calm down." It was Cyborg that silenced him as he looked suspiciously at Red X. "You heard Robin, now tell us. What do you want?"  
"A meeting. With your leader... But perhaps things have shifted?" A tension was sprung upon the old warehouse, where the Titans had gone after getting an alert from the police. The owner of the dock had seen 'a hooligan in spandex' sneak into his fish-storing room. The chief, from the description, had concluded an identity and called the Tower.  
"Nothing's changed. What nature would this meeting have?" Robin said quickly, hoping to banish the meaning and unspoken challenge of those words.

"An alliance." Short. Simple. Easy.

But completely ludicrous.

"What? Dude, how hard did you hit your head on that wall?" Surely Beast Boy had spoken for the whole group, but Robin shifted slightly as he inhaled.  
"What kind of alliance?"

"Dude! Are you actually /considering/ this? Last time he totallytried to burnus!"

The rational words were ignored by both Robin and Red X as they watched each other's movements.  
"There is something I need. You can help me get it."  
"Why would /we/ help /you?" Robin's eyes were still narrowed as Starfire cleared her throat softly.  
"Robin, under the circumstances, I would think that Red X is not worthy of your trust and alliance of any nature would only be-"

"Oh Princess, you hurt me. I'm not asking for trust, just help."  
"Again. Why would we help you?"

Robin had now ignored not only Beast Boy, but Starfire as well. The green Titan had crossed his arms indignantly where the Tamaranian lowered her eyes.

"Because this certain item is in the possession of someone you're not too fond of. It's a dangerous object that would be much safer in my hands. I'm sure we'd both agree on this."  
"Who and what are you talking about?"

Four Titans stayed quiet as Robin took his place in the lead. They'd never questioned it before . . . And they weren't about to start. Uh uh.  
"A video tape." Robin hesitated. Where was this going?  
"With what on it?"  
"Indiscretions I'm sure you wouldn't want.. Out."  
"And why would I help it into /your/ hands?"  
"That isn't necessary. I'd only need it to destroy it. You'd be free to do so as well, as long as I see it happen."  
"It's bad for you, too?"  
"Maybe."  
"What's on it?"  
"I can't say. Too many ears. You understand, don't you?" Robin looked around the room. Five pairs of eyes were on him as he nodded decisively. He saw Beast Boy and Starfire frown confusedly. What could it be that they couldn't hear? And why was Robin agreeing to possibly keep things from all of them?  
"Who has it?"  
"An apprentice."  
"Of who?"  
"Slade." Stony silence and a collective drawing of air throughout the room. Slade?  
"Slade's dead."

"I know that. Forgot to congratulate you on that, by the way."  
"Who is it?"  
"Well, you'll just have to find that out, won't you?"  
"Tell me." His voice was hard and low as he glowered over at Red X.  
"Say you'll help."  
"Tell me!" Robin lunged at the other boy, who jumped away.

The other Titans, with the tension broken, didn't know what to do. Honestly, they felt somewhat.. Unneeded. They all shifted into stances, ready to attack if need be.

"Patience is a virtue, Boy Wonder." Red X said, perched at the top of a pile of boxes. "You know what?" He jumped backwards, towards the huge electric door. "I'm going to let you sleep on it. Contact me when you want to start working on it."

He said /when, not /if/. Bait was set. He already knew Robin would take it... As long as the other three didn't get in the way.

"How are we supposed to-"  
"The Princess knows."

That was the final sentence given before a small circular object appeared in his hand and was thrown to the ground.  
Smoke bomb. Predictable... But effective.

He disappeared, the smoke clearing eventually with help from a blast of empty air from one of Cyborg's canons.

"What did he mean, Starfire?" Robin's voice was cold, his eyes still narrowed towards her.  
She blinked. "I do not know, Robin." She looked confused, but affectedly so. His tone resembled the one he'd used the night he snapped over Slade. It frightened her and she withdrew significantly from his curious anger.  
"I think you do." He said stonily.

"Leave her alone, Robin. She said she doesn't know." Cyborg again. Pacifying. What was /with/ that guy, trying to steal Robin's thunder?  
"If Red X really needs our help, he'll find us." Raven's voice cut in before Robin could protest.

He sighed and deflated somewhat, glancing over at Star. "You're right. I'm sorry." Robin.. Ever the puppy-dog. But Star's eyes stayed on the ground as she shrugged lightly. "Do not trouble yourself." Evasion. It set him on edge. Was she mad at him?

Well that was just wonderful.

"Guys... Can we like... Get out of here? It /reeks/ of dead animal!" Beast Boy was holding his nose with a very disgusted look on his face. Raven rolled her eyes and Cyborg laughed.  
"Yeah. Let's go." The hybrid boy said, making his way out of the door to his rather impressive vehicle. His baby. Mhm. Beast Boy ran after him and Raven grudgingly followed, muttering something about "immaturity" darkly as she passed Robin and Starfire.  
"Star I-" He cut himself off when she lifted herself from the ground and floated out after them.

He frowned. Damn. She was really mad. What did he do? He wasn't really sure. Maybe he'd ask her later. Maybe he'd ask Raven. She always seemed to know everything going on, even if those things were harbored secrets.

They all piled into the car and "enjoyed" a tense ride back.  
Kind of tense. Beast Boy and Cyborg were taking part in their routine squabbles and Raven was quiet as usual. Robin, understandably, was lost in thought. There was a reason he was the leader... He dedicated himself to his work. Maybe sometimes a little too much. He was best at busts and making plans.

But his thoughts now were not only of Red X and the business with an illustrious apprentice of his deceased nemesis, but also of a red-headed alien who was looking wistfully out the window; only seldom giggling at Beast Boy's remarks instead of partaking in joke-telling of her own (that consisted of jokes that rarely made sense but were oddly hilarious anyway, if only funny in their oddity).

His obsession with Slade had been about a month ago... And though he felt he'd gotten forgivance (I'm making up words.. o.x) from the rest of the team, the situation had no doubt drawn a wedge in their relationship. There was a factor of trust he knew he was going to have to win back... But her actions after this meeting he knew he'd have to eventually consent to made him wonder how long winning her back was going to take.

Especially when feelings as alien to him as she was to the earth for her were distracting him from nearly everything these days.

**END

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**

I can't seem to write long chapters.. o.x Sorry.. I do try, but then it just does too much and yeah... -shrugs-

Did ya like it? XD

(1) Foelly: Foe/Ally. Hehe.. Just a little invention of my own. (2) "I'm back, princess." o.o Very same line from the very edgy Zelda fic I'm working on. Doesn't that just intrigue you-grins- (3) Red X, Red X, Red X... I wish I had something easier to call him. Does he have a name? Does anyone know-feels dumb- If so, please tell me so that I don't seem so dumb anymore.

Next chapter, I hope, will come sooner than this one has. I'm working on... -counts on fingers- 3 besides this, so /try/ to understand my slow-nes.. o.o;;

RR -waves-


	4. Starfire's Secret

La! I opened my mailbox and it said I had like... -tries to remember- 6 reviews or something? After like a day.  
Dudes.. That's like /totally/ flattering and so.. Motivating. XD 

So I'm off my butt already. I would have written yesterday.. But I had company who I thought wouldn't want to sit here and watch me o.x... So I didn't.

Moi? Marriage? Snow? -wishes it snowed here-

But yes. Read this. Keep all the reviews coming. -thumbs up-

-ps- If this is real angsty.. I've got a new CD that's all about... Longing and betrayal and.. You know. XP Great stuff. -points to case- Mariah Carey. Like.. Her first album. The self-titled one. Noxy-righteous. -nods-  
Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4: Starfire's Secret**

'You must tell him.'  
'I must /not/!'  
'You are well aware that it is the only right way.'  
'It is the only /wrong/ way!' '  
You are lying. You know you are lying. You are not as stupid as others may think. This is not something to be taken as light or fickle. This is important. This is surely a matter of his very safety.'  
'You are /wrong/. It will accomplish nothing but further confusion and anger.'

Her thoughts were final as she sat on the couch, staring blankly at the warrior robots battling on the TV screen.

Robin had disappeared into his room, telling the four of them that he was going to figure out what was on that tape. That he would call them if he needed help. They'd all been a little disappointed... Felt a little useless.. But ultimately, they'd all turned up in the front room again: Beast Boy and Cyborg button-mashing on their fun-station controllers, Raven in the adjacent kitchen, reading some book while sipping at steaming tea, and Starfire, cheering the fighters on.

Except that she wasn't being the very best cheerleader. She was fighting with herself... Much like the boys were at the moment, thought on subjects much heavier.  
"Aw YEAH BABY!"  
"NO. NO. NO. NO. That's impossible. You're /cheating/!"  
"You're jealous!"  
"Oh yeah? Who's jealous /now/?!"

As what would have been judged by a "super-special-extra-powered-all-time-best-combo" by the amount of flashing lights and pounding on the controller buttons was cut short as the TV shut off without warning; the epic (oh so epic) war minimizing from top to bottom and meeting with a thin gray line in the middle of the screen.

Eyes big as saucers, jaws in their laps, Beast Boy and Cyborg turned their heads towards Raven.  
She was the only explanation, really. The rest of the lights hadn't gone out and the only unmoved person was the witch sitting at the counter about twenty feet away.

"Rae! What was /that/? I was /winning/!!" Beast Boy cried out, his control falling to the ground as he stood up.  
"Hey, man. You so were not. I /had/ your ass."  
Cyborg was ignored by both as Raven slowly looked up. "You make too much noise."  
"I- Ma-I-No-no-NOISE!?" The incoherent stuttering ended with the still very loud shriek.  
"Yes. Noise. Aggravating." Simple sentences. One-word sentences, actually. She had to break it down, you see. Everyone knew that much had to be hard to compute in Beast Boy's mind at the moment... Even the one that caused the total turmoil. (Oh I'm sure)  
"LEAVE THE ROOM IF IT BOTHERS YOU!" His hands were thrown in the air.  
"Dude. It's alright. Rematch later." Cyborg stood up and patted Beast Boy's head condescendingly as he chuckled. "You guys are like an old married couple." And before anything could be thrown at his head with response to that remark, he exited the room.

Mad flush tinged BB's cheeks as he crossed his arms and sat back down on the couch, sunken so low into it that his chin rested on his chest.  
Pouting. "He's only okay with it because he was about to lose."

The TV flicked back on. Raven was reading her book again. "Oh yeah.. Thanks Rae." He muttered sarcastically.  
"Wasn't me." She said shortly, getting off the counter stool with her mug to retire to her room.

Blinking, the green titan glanced over at the couch next to him. Starfire was holding the remote, still looking at the TV as if she weren't... Really there.  
Oh yeah... He'd forgotten she was here, she was being so quiet.  
"Star?" Her thumb was her only part moving; up. Down. Up. Down. Flipping channels as her green eyes took in.. Nothing really.  
Frowning, Beast Boy sat up and leaned over to poke her arm tentatively. "Earth to Star... You.. In there?"

She blinked once and looked over at him, startled. "Ah.. I am sorry, Beast Boy."  
"What's up? You okay?" He was still frowning. Come on.. He was the biggest space case in the house, and being that true, he knew there /had/ to be something wrong.  
"Yes. I am fine, thank you. How are you?" She smiled at him.  
Too cheesy. "Hm. Thirsty." He was in the kitchen in a flash, standing with the fridge door open. "You want something?" He shook his head and reached for one of the unopened bottles of mustard, not waiting for a response.  
"Water, please." Well that was just unusual. "Uh.. Okay." he put the mustard back and swiped a bottled water along with his soda before flopping back down on the couch.

It had gotten kind of late.

"Thank you, Beast Boy."  
"No prob."

A little puzzled, he looked at the neon numbers on the VCR. Yes, they still had a VCR. Starfire especially liked popping in oldies the group had collected.  
They glared at him 11:36. He glanced over at Star as he suppressed a yawn. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep after the little disruption in the morning.

Nope. He could fall asleep after smacking into a door, but not after an argument with Raven.

"You are tired. You should sleep."  
"But you're out he-"  
"Do not worry about me. I am tired as well." She turned to him and yawned. Fake. Totally. Not even funny how on purpose that was. "I will also go to bed." The TV flicked off again and she stood up, stretching.

He watched her skeptically, downing his soft drink before standing. "Okay. Whatever." Well.. He didn't have to believe her. It wasn't like she was starting trouble or anything.

He paused with that thought. Ooh.. Scandalous.. Bank robberies or secret midnight trysts.  
But this was /Star/. He shook his head in the stupidity of it and waved a couple fingers as he moved to the other side of the couch and started down the hall. "Night."

"Good night, dear friend Beast Boy; and may you have pleasant dreams."

The huge smile drooped as he disappeared down the dark hall's length and she sighed.  
'Do you see more clearly now? You must tell him.'  
Did she really have to? Perhaps there was an even more epic battle going on inside her head. The outcome of this choice would determine the outcome of the whole situation.  
'He will find out no matter what you do.'  
'I will do it tomorrow.'  
'It will be too late. You must not let yourself miss the opportunity.'  
'He will hate me!'  
'He will hate you either way. You /must/ tell him.'

A couple of her fingers hovered about her bottom lip as she thought. She'd brought herself down the hall and had somehow navigated to the front of Robin's room. His door was straight in front of her as she bit the same bottom lip and raised a hand to knock.

He had been racking his brain for answer -/any/ answer. What could be on the tape, who could be holding the tape, where Red X could be, what kind of help he'd need, /anything/ that would help him. There were no leads. But he was still scouring records and opening long-ignored files for /anything/ at all. "Dammit.." He muttered to himself, eyes heavy with fatigue but mind set in determination. He needed /something/ before he could even try to sleep.

And Starfire kept popping up. She said she didn't know... But what if she was lying. Why would she lie? Could Red X have something on her? What could he have on her?  
Which sent Robin back in a circle. A circle that led him to question her actions after Red X left.  
Why was she mad? Did she think he was going to get obsessed again? Did she think he was going to hurt her like he did last time?

His head fell in his hands as he hit another dead end, but he jumped as there was a knock on his door.  
'Who the hell is it?!' He wanted to yell. But he didn't. He got up and opened the door.

'He looks awfully upset. I shall wait until tomorrow.'  
'You shall not - you /must/ not wait.'

He was undoubtedly frazzled as he opened the door to see her standing there, which made him curse himself silently as he tried to make himself look more presentable. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to act pleased to see her.  
The acting part wasn't very hard.  
"Starfire..?"  
"Robin, there is something that I need to tell you." Her eyes were on the ground.  
"What?" She looked up at him, then checked either side to make sure there was no one around. No one getting up to use the rest room or stick others in ceilings, etc. Then she raised a hand and gently pushed him out of the doorway, walking into his room without invitation.  
He frowned as she took a few steps away from him towards his desk and he closed the door.  
"Star..?"  
She bit her lip again, looking at him painfully.  
"Star, what's the matter?" She looked like a deer caught in headlights.. Or like she was afraid he was going to pull a knife on her any moment.  
"Robin, I am afraid that I... I lied." As she said it, a weight took itself off her shoulders and the restraints on her throats disappeared. Thus, a gush came pouring out. "IamsorryIdiditbutIfeltthatIhadnochoicebecauseIthinkwhatIhavetotellyouissomethingthatyou-"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Star, slow down." She was almost crying! He saw her eyes getting puffy and her bottom lip quivering dangerously. A hand involuntarily went around her shoulder and he led her to sit on his bed, where she sat avoiding his eyes, her breathing short and shallow.  
"I lied, Robin!" He was still standing, and she craned her neck upwards to look at him as her hands clenched around his bed sheets.  
"Star... It's okay." He wasn't sure about that, but she needed to calm down before she... Destroyed something... Or something. He sat down on the bed next to her, frowning. "Tell me."  
"I can't!" She was avoiding his gaze again, staring at her fingers now twiddling with themselves in her lap.  
"You can't? Well... Then why are you here?" He sat far enough away from her that she wouldn't feel like this was some inquisition.. But close enough so that she could feel like.. He was there if she needed a shoulder to start crying on.

He would have preferred the latter to happen, really. He was hoping for it, actually. Well, not really. He didn't want her to be crying, but her leaning on his shoulder wouldn't be so bad. Her sitting on his lap would be even less.. Bad. And her hand holding his or her face stuck to his would be-

"I have to tell you though I cannot."  
"Huh?" He could have slapped himself. He was so lost in his lewd, totally inappropriate, completely crazy fantasies that he had said 'Huh'. /'Huh/'. Dammit.  
She looked at him oddly, eyebrows furrowed.

He shook his head and looked away before she saw any remnants of those /damn/ hormones. He sighed, acting thoughtful and looked back at her, nicely masked. "Why can't you tell me?"  
"I... I believe it may drive you to loathe me." His eyebrows raised.  
"Loathe you? Are you crazy, Star? I don't think there's anything in the world you could-" Gods, he was doing it again. "I mean.. You can tell me, Star. I won't get mad."  
"But you will. I am certain you will."  
"I promise I won't." He judged it totally unsafe to reach out and put a hand on her shoulder. Ugh.. He would have so liked that, too.. But no.. He'd had to lose himself in his own perversion and now he was too... "tense" to move towards her at all.  
She didn't seem to notice any of it.

'He said that he would not become angry.'  
'He will take that back when he hears.'  
'No, he won't. Tell him.'

"I lied to you, Robin." He frowned. What was she talking about? Had she even said anything to him in the past couple of ho-

Wait.  
"About Red X?" He was snapped back into his determined-worker self and his eyebrows dropped with the tone of his voice.  
She noticed /that/. Her eyes dropped as well.  
"No... Star, you can tell me." This time, he did lean forward and put a hand on her shoulder. She /had/ to tell him now. She wouldn't leave the room without telling him.

"When I told you I did not know what he meant by saying that I knew something of his location, I was lying."

Yeah yeah, he had /gotten/ that part already.  
"So you /do/ know something?" She nodded meekly and looked up at him. He could have melted, but he didn't.  
"I know where he is." She said softly.  
"Where?" His mind was racing now... But it stopped dead as the clockwork got stuck on a loose cog. His eyes narrowed slightly and his head tilted to the side as he looked at her. "How...?"  
"I have.. I have been there. Been to his location."  
"When? With who? /Why/?" That couldn't mean.  
"I visited his location exactly 16 days ago, with Red X himself." Her words were losing their volume, becoming harder to hear with each syllable.  
"What?!"

No... No, no, no, no... She was on some side-mission by herself. She was trying to learn something about him... He had /kid-napped/ her! But she had said she 'visited' the place.. Any scenario that held her innocence flashed in his mind as she looked at the ground once more.

"I accompanied Red X to his apartment building on 46th street about two weeks ago." She was speaking slowly now, as well as quietly.  
"What apartment number..?" His voice was stony, edged. He knew the building. Too well. His eyes were narrowed and his hand was tightened on her shoulder.  
"Robin you are hurting —"  
"Which apartment number?"  
"Number seven. But Robin, you don't know-"

He was up and leaving. As he passed his desk he grabbed a stray birdarang off of it and threw open the door, storming out.

"Robin, wait! You do not know why I was there!" Her shouts were futile to stopping him and as she flung herself towards the door, she couldn't even see him anymore.

"Star, what is it?" Cyborg was there, his shoulder flashlight shining on her as he looked around the hallway. "Why are you in Rob's room?"  
"Excuse me, Cyborg.. But I have to get Robin." She flew past him and out a window that was already open.  
"What in the-"

Cyborg looked around the hall once more and saw no one. He sighed. "Better go wake up the other two.." He muttered to himself, starting down the stairs.

**END**

* * *

Look! Seven pages! -dances- Boo yah! XD

Well okay. I don't know what's on the videotape.. I've a vague idea.. But.. -narrows eyes- I'm not totally sure yet.  
R&R.. Puh-leese!


	5. Race to Seven

Okay. Yes. I'm finally getting down to this. 

I'm /sorry/. I really am. I've just been so.. Uninspired, ya'll.. It's been /horrible/. First I was busy, then I got sick and yeah... -sighs- But I'm writing now! XD

I still don't own anything. I think I forget to say that a lot.. o.x

Here we go!

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Race to Seven**

"And then she just took off?" The green titan looked incredulous, his eyebrows raised as he leaned forward from his spot in the back seat of the car.  
"Yeah. It was the weirdest thing. She said something about finding Rob and then just flew out the window." Cyborg, of course, was at the wheel, his eye both on the road and on his scanner, which showed them as three dots in one place following the two marked "Star" and "Robin" to what looked like the same destination.  
"And you didn't see Robin?" Raven asked, sitting shotgun.  
"Nope. I heard him yell something, though.. Which was why I got up in the first place. But I didn't see him. Ah. They're going different directions.. Who do I follow?" He glanced at Raven, who was frowning.  
"Follow Robin. They're going to end up at the same place, right? But Starfire's flying up above. Robin's taking the road, which is the only way we're going to be able to go in the car."  
"Got'cha."

-

It had started raining, though he hardly noticed. The only dead on clues were the drops pricking his bare arms and slamming against the visor of his helmet. Other than that, he wasn't aware enough to realize.

It was kind of like a movie, or a TV show or something. Maybe even a comic book, he thought. Where it just starts raining to show the protagonist's feelings. Robin felt like it could have been storming inside of him right now. He was sure as hell angry enough.

What was on the tape? And how did Starfire know about it? Why was she there? Why was Red X so smug about everything? HOW did Starfire /know?

Questions that Robin had every intention of getting the answers to. Even if it meant beating Red X to a pulp.  
'And no. This isn't about being jealous. This is about Slade. Slade's apprentice.' He told himself.

Oh Robin.. Ever with your delusions.

-

'I hate to think that I told you it would be so.'  
'You do not know that yet.'  
'Oh yes I do. You know it as well. He hates you now.'  
'He does not hate me, for he knows nothing. When it is explained, Robin will understand.'  
'He will not understand. He will jump to conclusions again. He will not trust you.'  
"Shut up!" She said out loud. Something she'd heard Raven say to Beast Boy that had struck her as very forceful. She didn't understand the phrase, but hadn't thought to ask Robin of it's origin.

Starfire wasn't aware of the odd humming noise as she cut through the downpour towards the apartment building. The noise that was coming from her in anxiety, in worry that Robin would get there first.

'Ooohh... He must not see that tape!'  
'But he must! I cannot keep it from him, I must show it to him myself.'

And that was her resolve. For Robin to learn the contents of the videotape from her alone. Red X would not show him nor tell him. No one but her would tell him. For.. She was afraid if it was any other way... He may not speak to her again.

-

"Ah. I had a feeling you'd get here first." The voice from behind the full face mask said dryly. The voice of Red X.  
He was sitting in a plush red chair, the only furniture in the room. The whole apartment consisted virtually of this room, the whole room consisted of just this chair. It was facing the window, away from the door. He looked quite the villain, sitting in this high backed chair as his company burst through the doorway, breathing heavy and eyes narrowed.

The other person in the room looked around, making sure that they were in fact the first to arrive. Well, that was a relief.  
"Please. Robin is on his way, and no doubt the other titans as well. You must help me explain to them, but please let me tell him myself." Her voice was meek but demanding, hands raised threateningly.

"You mean you haven't told him already? I thought there was more trust in your.. Relationship than that." Red X stood up, the tone to his words mocking her. She flushed at his innuendo, and shook her head.  
"I must tell Robin myself. Do you understand?"  
"Oh, but it's not really that bad. Are you that ashamed of what we did? That's not what you said before... You told me it was a good thing."  
"Please. Robin must hear it from me."

All the boy did was laugh and she huffed in distress. What could she do? Blast him? That wouldn't stop him from telling Robin.. Unless it kept him knocked out for long enough. But that didn't seem at all appropriate.

"Do you-" She stopped as an engine roared outside. It was killed outside the building, and both X and the Tameranian knew it would only be a couple seconds before –

"Red X!"

Robin had chosen to jump through the window. Yes, the seventh floor window. It didn't matter, he wouldn't have been able to bust down the door if he'd come that way.. Starfire already had. Dramatics.

Well, yes. The window shattered in a cacophony and Red X grumbled to himself. "I'm going to have to pay for these things, you know. First the door and now the window."

"Star? How did you - What are you doing here?" Robin ignored X, masked eyes widening as he saw her standing there... She had gotten here before him.

"Robin, please. You must listen to me. You left the tower with no explanation and you do not know my reasons for being here.. Or my reasons for acting as I did on that tape of video." Her eyes lowered with the last part. Shame? Robin could feel his blood start to boil... Or something along those lines.

"You're on the tape?" His voice was low and Starfire looked up, pain shooting across her features with the severity of his stance and his words.  
"Yep. Me and her. Some jerk that claims he has everything to do with Slade.. And your HIVE friends, by the way.. Decided it would be funny to tape something embarrassing and try to blackmail me.  
"I bet this is getting to hard to handle, huh little sparrow? I can see the vein in your forehead starting to-"  
"Shut up! Starfire, is what he's saying true?"

How? How did this happen? One minute Robin was worried about how transparent he was to her, and the next she's talking about being videotaped with Red X! Doing /what?  
"It is true. But Robin you do not know! I had no intent for the shameful actions to be published on tape, I was not thinking properly when it.. When I.. When it happened."

Robin wanted to look away from her, but the huge green eyes were so beseeching.. Pleading with him to just.. Hear her out.  
He sighed, running a hand through his hair and noticed that she was shivering.

That she was soaking wet. Her hair was sticking to her arms and her face, water running down her uniform -and the parts of her body not covered by her clothes- to form a puddle on the carpet below her.  
And he noted again that she was shivering.

Robin gave in to her. This was Starfire. Even if whatever was on that tape was X-rated, he knew he'd find some excuse in his hormone-driven mind to forgive her.. To cast all blame from her. "Okay, Star. I'll let you talk."

And even through the boiling blood and the rain outside mirroring his mood, Robin found the slightest smile tugging at his mouth as her face lit up and she bounded across the room to hook her arms around his neck in an oh-so-glorious relief.

"Oh, friend Robin! I am so happy that you will listen!"

Yeah.. Friend Robin.

Robin glanced over her shoulder to Red X, who was standing there, tapping a foot impatiently. Wiping the goofy smile off his face, he pushed her gently away and tried to act nonchalant. Starfire blinked and looked back at Red X.

"Done?" The foelly asked.

Robin fought hard to say something back as Starfire stood on her tip-toes and started whispering in his ear. X crossed his arms and muttered something about woody and redheads that Robin would have very much liked to hit him for... If he'd been listening at all.

When she was done, Robin's eyebrows raised. A slight redness crept onto his face, and his eyebrows then dropped to a flustered frown. "You.. You.. And him? Star I.. I don't know what to say."

"Oh say that you forgive me, friend Robin! You do not know the guilt in which I've been submersed. It is like a thousand florbjaks are jumping up and down on my stemplone!"

Robin blinked, somewhat confused. Forgive her?

"Why don't you just say you'll help us destroy it for now. All that other good stuff can come later." Red X said, obviously bored by this display.  
Robin sighed again, his hair becoming even more ruffled as he swept a hand through it once more. "I'll help you."

-

"I've got 'em." Cyborg said, squinting at the monitor to see the exact location both dots had stopped at.  
"Where is it?" Beast Boy piped from the backseat.  
"Apartment building on 46th. They're in one of the rooms. I'm sure of it." Cyborg explained, accelerating as a light turned green for him.  
"What do you think they're doing?" Beast Boy again.  
"Beast Boy, think. Doesn't this all seem a little suspicious. Isn't there a little voice inside your head telling you the answer to that question?" Raven asked sarcastically, raising a brow.

The green titan mulled over this for a moment, "Ohhhh..." Raven and Cyborg glanced at each other, both rolling their eyes with his very slow realization. "Raven you dog! I can't believe you'd even suggest /that/. Robin and Star aren't the type to do /that/." He shook his head and sat back in the seat.

A plastic cup that had been on the dashboard was enveloped with black light before it hurled itself at his head. "Ow... What was that for? You're the one being perverted!"

"BB don't be stupid. It's gotta be Red X. Star knows something, and she obviously told Robin. I'm guessin' he freaked out and left on his bike, and she followed him."

As Cyborg spelt it out what he and Raven had already guessed for Beast Boy, Raven scoffed and looked out the window. "Oh." The mutant said, frowning slightly.  
"Do you know the word for right now?" Raven drawled emotionlessly.  
"What?" He asked, tilting his head to one side.  
"Duh."

-

"Rob, can you hear me?"

The communicators! The godly little contraptions that they hadn't thought of using before! (1)  
But now Beast Boy's voice was coming in -just a little bit static-y- from the little radio on Robin's belt.

He fumbled with the latch and got it free, pressing the button and bringing it to his mouth. "Yeah. Where are you guys?"

"Where are /you guys? And /why/ are you there? Dude. Tell me you're not having a tryst. Rae says you're not but you and Star are pretty- Ow! Would you stop? I'm going to throw this cup out the window!"

Robin arched an eyebrow and avoided looking at Starfire through his embarrassment. "Are you guys close? Tell Cyborg it looks like we're going to go get that tape tonight. I can take Star on my R-cycle but you guys are going to have to give Red X a ride."

"What! I don't want to have to-"  
"BB. Gimme that. Robin, I hear ya loud and clear. We're almost there, I've got you guys pinned on my map."  
"Alright then. Robin out." (2)

"Will the others watch the tape of video, Robin?" Starfire looked apprehensive.

Ashamed was an understatement.

"Gawd. You act like it's the end of the world, princess. Robin's not mad about it, are you Robin?" Red X's tone was a challenge, and Robin looked up at him coldly.  
"Where exactly are we going?" He asked stonily.  
"Remember that little punk uh.. Gizmo, I think his name is? Yeah. High tech nerd with all the gadgets. He's our man."  
"Where he is, those other two are gonna be. This may turn ugly."  
"That's only if we're not careful. Listen, we're doing this my way. Not barging in like we own their place. Key word's stealth. Got it?"  
"Robin I do not think-"  
"Starfire, do you want to come with me or go in the car?"  
"But Robin, I am trying to-"  
"Oh, little sparrow.. Are you scared you may do something inappropriate if she's with-"  
"Shut /up/."

Starfire stood silent, her eyes slightly narrowed. She could understand that he was angry, maybe frustrated.. But that did not give him the right to pretend like she wasn't talking when she was.

"Star?" They both looked at her as the car skidded to a slippery stop in front of the building.  
"I do not wish to ride with you on the cycle of R." She said, crossing her arms.

Robin frowned. "Oh.. Kay."

Red X chuckled. "You can sit next to me, princess."

**END**

* * *

Yay! 6 pages-dances again-

(1) Yes. They hadn't thought of using them before because /I/ hadn't thought of using them before and didn't feel like going in and editing it. I'm awfully lazy, if you hadn't already picked that up. But it's not my fault.. You see, I'm a Libra. It comes naturally. -nods-  
(2) I feel like they're little kids playing with walkie-talkies.. XD So crazy. But it's like that episode... Where they all go robinning. 'Not you Robin, the /other/ Robin.' That's just like.. The funniest eppy ever, don't you think? XD

Okay. Review or I just won't write anymore. -dramatic sniffles- Ah.. And I'm sorry if it seems sketchy.. I'm kinda out of it, but just wanted to write this and get it over with.. It's been like almost two months since I have, so yeah. I might go in and edit this all after I publish it.. Later. -frowns- Whatev.


	6. Put Your Hands Where We Can See 'Em!

Okay. I know this has taken forever and I'm SO sorry but I just have had no idea what to write.. And I have this other story started on my laptop, but I can't get on that until we get a new battery pack (been broken since like July) and it just sucks.. So I'm taking a break from apush and writing here. 

I hope you can all remember what was happening.. Haha. Alright.

I still own nothing. Nada. Zilch. Yeah.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Put Your Hands where we can See 'Em!**

"Obviously, you'll get there before us." Cyborg said, leaning on the side of his car. "So you and BB can circle the premise or maybe even try to find a way in the building before we get there. Just don't do anything stupid." He finished, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"Heyy. What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy glared resentfully, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"It means exactly what it sounds like." Raven drawled, one hand in the position of holding the invisible handle to the black energy-umbrella that was shielding the group of them. The pitter-patter of the dying rain was drumming in Robin's ears as he looked at Starfire, whose gaze was trained on the ground.

She was upset. At him. And because of this, he was riding on his R-Cycle with Beast Boy. _Beast Boy_.

This was just great.

"Rae, I just don't get why you always have to-" the green teen started, but Robin cut him off by pushing the spare helmet into his hands.  
"Don't argue. Got it, Cy. We'll see you there." He only looked once more at Starfire, whose eyes were now in the sky. As they dropped, they fell on his, their two glances teasing each other until hers continued to the ground. It took her only another second to open the car door and crawl inside.

Robin sighed.

This was.. Just great.

The boy wonder pulled his helmet on and straddled his bike, motioning for Beast Boy to join him. Red X climbed into the car after Star, and the other two were quick to follow.

And they were off.

- - - -

"Dude. We can't just sit here. Let's try to bust in." Beast Boy was teetering on the balls of his feet, looking up at the slightly degenerate house they'd arrived at. It would _so_ easy to break in, but Robin was holding him back!

"You heard what Cyborg said. If we do something stupid, we'll mess everything up." Robin's tone denoted that this wasn't the first time he'd repeated this statement in the past five minutes.  
"Stupid? Rob.. You've never followed Cy so strictly before. We won't mess up"  
"We don't know that."  
"What could go wrong?" BB's arms were flailing, and it made Robin wonder if they'd wake up Gizmo.  
"Look," He said softly, "I made a mistake tonight, and my punishment was having to ride with a five-year-old grass stain on the back of my bike. If I mess up again.. I don't even want to think of the consequences." The age thing was harsh, but Beast Boy was being immature.

"Five year old! Dude are you mental? Could a five-year-old have _this_?" The green teen rubbed his chin. "That's genuine peach fuzz you see, good sir." A mirror appeared from nowhere and Beast Boy raised his eyebrows suavelyat the reflection . "Five year olds do not have whiskers like these."  
"Kittens do." Robin said dryly, ignoring Beast Boy's dead pan.

"Man.. That wasn't cool. What's up with you?"  
"They should be here soon." Robin evaded, looking at the house again.  
"I know. But why are you all uptight? Riding with me isn't THAT bad. I just showered like.. Wednesday."  
"It's Saturday, Beast Boy."  
"Yeah. And?"

Robin rolled his eyes and turned away from his fellow titan. He didn't like the thought of Red X sitting next to Starfire in the backseat of that car. No, he didn't think anything would... Happen... Being Cyborg and Raven were there.. But he just felt that she should have been on the R-Cycle with him. He hadn't really done anything wrong.. Had he?

He blinked a couple times as he noticed his arm being poked by a green finger.  
"You found out what was on the tape, didn't you?" Beast Boy seemed genuinely concerned, not very nosy, and almost.. Mature when asking. Like he cared or something. Robin blinked a couple more times.

"Yeah. But she said it doesn't matter. It didn't.. 'Mean anything'." Robin was aware that he was grumbling, but he really didn't care.  
"And it does?"  
"Heck yes it does! She's insane! I can't believe she - I mean she never even let me - well not that I'd want to - but that isn't the point it was more..." He slammed his fist into the seat of his R-Cycle. Hard. It made a weird sputtering sound and turned off. Beast Boy watched the various glowing meters die as the power shut down, then looked up at Robin, who was glaring forward.  
"What is it?" He asked softly, putting a hand on his arm. Beast Boy, of course judging by the way Robin was acting, could guess what may have been on the tape... But it seemed almost ludicrous. And yet, the word 'insane' had come out of Robin's mouth in reference to Star... And he hit his beloved R-Cycle.

That was just bizarre.

Robin paused, almost as if considering telling him what was on the tape. Starfire didn't want anyone else to know, but he was almost so angry that he wanted to see her embarrassed and...

But that wasn't right.

He sighed again and straightened up, crossing his arms. "They should be here soon"  
- - - - - - -

"I do not see why we have not commenced our travel to the whereabouts of Gizmo when you are sure you know the way." Starfire was sitting as straight as a broom in the backseat, next to the slouching Red X who was turned toward the window. What he was looking at, of course, was impossible to guess due to his mask, but no one was really paying attention to him at the moment.

"We wanna know what's up between you and Rob. Why you're not on the bike instead of BB, and why you're now acting like there's nothing wrong." Cyborg had taken the key out of the ignition and was facing his backseat passenger.

"I do not know what you're talking about. I thought simply that because of the rain, the car would be more comfortable a traveling device." Her eyes were wide as she looked back and forth from Raven to Cyborg, who were both looking at her suspiciously.  
"Starfire, don't play dumb with us. We all know Robin's got the hots for you and you're crushing on him, too. Did this moron screw things up with this video tape of his?"

"Moron? Funny. Robin's the one that missed out on the recording." Red X countered, drawling his words as his head turned to watch Starfire.  
"Rae.. Did you just say _'the hots'_ and _'crushing'_?" The expression on Cyborg's face was nothing less than bewildered... Maybe terrified.

"Raven you speak of private feelings and affairs you know nothing of and have no business speculating upon." Though she said it sternly, Starfire was colored a madly deep red and she tossed her head to stare out her own window.

She wasn't going to say anything further on the topic.

"We should just drive." X pointed out after a minute or so of stony silence.  
And Cyborg did.

- - - -

"What if there's a traffic jam and by the time they get here, Gizmo's escaped and you'll never get a chance to–"As Beast Boy's incessant whining started to grind very roughly on Robin's nerves, head lights broke through their tension and the smooth crunching of gravel was heard as the T-Car came to a stop in front of them.

"Finally." The two said in unison.

Red X was first out of the car as the other three stayed in their seats to take their initial view of the building. When Cyborg and Raven's doors opened and the two stepped out, another of the energy umbrellas formed both around the car and the passengers of Robin's bike. "Let me help you out, princess." Red X was leaned into the back of the car again, offering his hand to the Tamaranian unbuckling her seat belt. Robin's pulse noticeably quickened as all eyes shot to him, and there was a collective sigh of relief as Starfire's own door popped open, refusing X's offer and stopping the pounding vein in her leader's forehead from exploding. Red X dropped his hand and chuckled as he muttered 'feisty' under his breath.

"So what's the plan of attack? Did you two find any opening besides the front door?" Cyborg was punching something into the computer on his arm, looking up at the building and frowning at the boarded windows.

"Unless we break something, no." Robin answered.  
"And we won't be doing that." Red X sauntered towards the door and tried the knob. It was locked.  
"Did you really think it would be that easy to just-" Beast Boy was cut off as X pulled the doorknob clean from it's hole, reached up through to slide the lock the other way, and push the door gently open with hardly a sound. "Oh." The green titan finished.  
"Yeah. Now let's go." X, of course, was the first to cross the dusty threshold.  
"What if they have alarms or something?" Robin asked this as he held a hand up, signaling for his team to wait before entering.  
"This place is totally secret and Gizmo's cocky. This isn't the crash-pad for their whole little doom patrol, it's just his little getaway. He thinks he's hidden it enough in this ghetto that he doesn't even need security."  
"Why's that?" Raven raised an eyebrow.  
Red X heaved a sigh, "just think about it. Gizmo thinks he's so tricky that if anyone from around here did manage to break in, he'd beat them up with his gadgets, and for those that can beat him -namely, us- the lack of any complicated alarm wouldn't be easy to spot on metal-head's radar, now would it?"  
It made sense, but Robin still wasn't sure. What if was all some elaborate trap? "Maybe we should--"  
"Rob, he's got a point. Let's just get this over with so we can all go back to sleep." Cyborg groaned, almost pleadingly.

Robin opened his mouth to speak again, but stopped himself as Starfire walked through the doorway after Red X, and the two of them disappeared inside the house. The other three turned to their leader, who was left with his jaw hanging open and his hand foolishly raised in the air. He blinked, and straightened himself up, a little bothered. "Well I guess we're going in, then." And before anyone else could say anything else, he followed the other two into the darkness.

"You think he's okay?" Beast Boy asked the remaining two titans before they entered.  
"I dunno yet.. This is all too weird." Cyborg turned on his light and stepped in after Raven. Beast Boy, with no other choice, shivered a bit and followed.

- - - -

"Put the light out, we're trying to be stealthy." Red X whispered sharply as the titans emerged from the darkness, thanks to Cyborg's light.

Cyborg shut it off after taking a sweeping look at his surroundings. Starfire was standing very close to Red X, who was looking up a flight of stairs. Robin had been in a corner a couple feet away, trying to find the other two without saying anything in his stubbornness. The other three, of course guided by the light, came to the foot of the stairs, as well, and when the light went off they all heard the first creak of a foot on the bottom step. Then another and another, and the six of them, all trying to be as quiet as possible (except for Starfire who was flying and Beast Boy who had become a cat to see better), tip-toed up the stairs.

"Are we all here?" Red X whispered as he took a few steps away from the top of the stairs.  
"Yes." Raven answered, being the last to finish the rickety ascent.  
"We didn't even lose little Robby-Poo? Sure he's not too--"  
"Shut up, I'm here."

Starfire, ignoring the uneasy bickering, landed a little ahead of Red X. Unknown to her, the toe of her purple boot pushed in a little switch on the ground, and sent an underground shock of energy through the floorboards. The electricity this took started a beeping on Cyborg's monitor, and the panel lit up.  
"What is it?" Robin asked, looking around, though not seeing anything in the dark.  
"I don't think it's anything big.. It's a current like a heater or something but.. No it's like an alarm.. Someone stepped on some kinda switch.. It set off some chain and now something big is headed for--"  
A sound was made of a floorboard shifting and carnival music started playing very loudly in the hallway. Something white could be seen in the dark, but not very well.  
This was when a screech made by Starfire erupted the panic in the room and was muffled and halted quickly by what was probably a hand.  
"Star!" Robin blindly lunged at the white thing they could all see, and as Cyborg's canon readied to fire up, an eerie blue glow was cast around the corridor, sticking to the six figures in an array of positions as an odd deflating noise started and the music faded out.

Raven's hands were glowing as black as the hall had been, ready to attack but not sure where to aim her fire, Beast Boy flapping his batty wings behind her. The huge white thing, a balloon with the face of Gizmo and big red letters saying "GOT'CHA", was rapidly shrinking due to the hole Robin had put in it with his bo-staff. The Boy Wonder was now breathing heavily, glaring at the booby trap. "What the..?"  
"That was so lame!" Beast Boy, returned to his normal form, was holding back laughter with one of his hands.  
Starfire, who had screamed, was standing rigid, and it was Red X that had come from behind her and clamped his hand around her mouth. "You scared me, Princess. I thought you were really in trouble." He murmured in her ear as she broke from his grasp.

"I was merely startled, and I apologize. I suspect now that Gizmo is aware of our presence, yes?"  
"I dunno yet. He could be, probably is, but he loves his electronics and could be sleeping with headphones or something." Red X continued down the hallway, towards the farthest door that was just slightly cracked open and showed light from the other side.

The others shook themselves of the scare and followed him; all but Robin, who pushed the shrinking button on his bo-staff, kicked the now-flat balloon, and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, Star.. You're welcome." He muttered, grudgingly tailing the rest of the group down the hall.

- - - -

When he reached the door, X pushed it open with two fingers and it creaked very quietly. The six of them –even the annoyed Robin in the back– held their breath as it swung slowly open to reveal the rest of the dully lit room.

The far wall was a multitude of computer screens, with one desk on the ground, and wires looping and twisting into every corner and covering nearly all of the floor space. The light was coming from a single naked bulb in the ceiling, and six pairs of eyes watched a moth flutter towards it, be greeted by a small zapping sound, and languidly fall back to the ground. Beast Boy gulped loudly, and Raven hit him in the back of the head. The standard complaint followed, but X turned and shushed them, pointing to a reclined swivel-chair at the desk.

Sitting in it was Gizmo, his head tilted back and his mouth wide open in sleep. Headphones were indeed wrapped around his ears and he seemed not to have heard anything. This relieved Starfire, who was reprimanding herself all the way down the hallway for blowing their cover. "Mommy, I wanna ride the pony. Don't make me eat any more of the carrots... The pony likes 'em better!"  
Beast Boy again stifled a burst of laughter.  
"Glorious! He is not awakened. I am so--"  
"Wait a sec, Princess. Something's fishy." X, leaving the rest of them in the doorway, ventured into the room, looking up at the ceiling for anything hidden. His steps were accompanied by the soft kind of squeegee sounds of his boots on the wires, and Beast Boy gulped again as one of them crushed the dead moth even further, though this time Raven wasn't paying enough attention to react.  
When reaching a couple feet from Gizmo's chair, Red X pushed a button on his belt and one of the metal x's appeared in his hand. With this raised in the air, poised for attack, Red X grabbed the arm of the chair and spun it towards him.  
When the splayed legs of Gizmo should have connected with those of the standing Red X and thus awakened him to the shock, they instead went right through.  
"Oh, crap." X muttered, backing away.  
"He's a hologram!" Cyborg exclaimed, hitting himself on the head for not checking sooner to make sure it was actually Gizmo.  
"Yeah, we've got that, you great tin can." X scathed, looking around.  
"Then if that is not Gizmo, where–"

Starfire gasped as a clanging sound was heard, and a small body glinting with metal hurled itself toward the middle of the room, right where Red X was standing.

**END**

* * *

Okay! That took too long.. I still have so much history to do. I wanted it to be uber long to make up for my absence, but that's all I can do for tonight. Sorry! I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner, though.. So don't be too terribly upset that this is kinda short! (And a cliffhanger, no less). An action scene obviously is next, and I'm not sure how I want it to work, yet.. So just look at it as quality, not how fast I do it. )

Don't forget to review! Hehe.


	7. Can we Get a Rating?

I can't believe I'm starting this now, but I am. So without further ado, here I go again. ) But I've got Mariah Carey belting x-mas carols in the background.. So sorry if you get holiday vibes. Haha. 

I own nothing. Get it?

* * *

**Chapter 7: Can we Get a Rating, Please?**

"Eee-YAAAAAAAH!" The steel toe of Gizmo's boot was flying at the back of X's head, but the horrible wailing sound he was making had the latter of the two spinning out of the way. Instead of being decked in the head, X's shoulder was grazed and Gizmo went flailing past him, the yell of triumph turning into a shriek of disappointment as the pointed foot smashed into the closest computer screen.

Taking a few steps back, Red X clutched his shoulder. "Ah! Mother fu--"  
"Titans, GO!" Robin interrupted, pointing towards the mess of sparks and glass Gizmo surrounded by.

Before any of them could reach the tiny enemy, however, he'd risen to the ceiling on eight mechanical legs, rubbing his head with one hand and steering with the other. "Do you know how much that screen would have cost me if I hadn't flippin' swiped it? You snot-brains are definitely in trouble!" The hand that had been rubbing a soon-to-be bruise moved to pull his goggles over his eyes, and the weird squeaking noise meant his legs were moving.

"Dude.. We've totally seen this before. This guy just gets old." Beast Boy was frowning up at the thing.  
"Quit whining and take out his legs!" Cyborg yelled as he around the contraption, readying his canon to shoot at the nearest metal stilt.

Raven, in the meantime, had been gathering the wires on the ground, and bathed in black light, they moved to form a rope that started tying the legs together. Starfire was hurling star bolts at the bubble shield Gizmo had erected around himself, and Robin was reflecting the midget's own little fireballs.

All in one swoop, Raven's huge shoe-lace of wire snapped around all eight legs, bringing them together against their will and causing the whole structure to teeter dangerously. "Get out of the way!" She yelled, and the titans scattered. No one noticed Red X, who instead of helping them fight, was rummaging around Gizmo's desk and the boxes on the ground.

They had also failed to notice that Starfire, still throwing star bolts at the enemy, was deaf to Raven's warning and was in the line of fall. "Star!" Robin was cupping his hands around his mouth to make shout louder, but she still didn't hear, and the huge metal contraption was terrifying-ly (for Robin) close to crushing her against the wall. He yelled again as he gave himself a running start and jumped flat-footed onto the wall, launching himself towards the nearest leg. Launching himself again off of the metal there, the Boy Wonder flew towards the Tamaranian Princess, who had heard the second yell and was turned to him quizzically. She gave out a startled little cry as he smashed into her, circling his arms around her waist. With the help of Starfire's inherent ability to fly, they were suspended in mid-air for a second, their faces uncomfortably (or maybe not) close. It took only this same second for Robin to immediately color, wonder if he'd made a stupid mistake, hear his teammate gasp half of his name, and, by rules of gravity, start falling to the ground, taking Starfire with him.

"Timber!" Beast Boy yelled as he returned to his shape from that of a huge gorilla, smiling hugely as he stood and threw his arm around Raven's shoulder. "Don't you just love the smell of a defeated bad-guy on a Friday evening?"

"Actually, Beast Boy... Because it is now well past midnight, this is a Sunday morning. And no." Raven's arms were crossed and her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't shrug his arm away.  
"Ah Rae, you're so funny." Not being shoved away, Beast Boy leaned his head on hers.  
"Beast Boy." She murmured.  
"Yeah?"  
"Get off of me."  
She knew he'd protest, so she simply stepped away from him, towards the fallen robot body. After black energy had opened the pod, Beast Boy and Raven made sure the protesting Gizmo was contained.

- - - - -

"Robin? Are you injured?"  
He heard her ask him this with his eyes closed and he groaned softly. Where was he? Why did his head hurt so much? Oh yeah. He had jumped way high in the air and fallen down. He must have been knocked out and in bed, because he was lying face-down on something really soft and warm. He felt painfully his eyebrows scrunch together and almost yelled for Beast Boy. The stupid prankster had obviously put some lumpy stuffed animal or something under his sheets. Fearing that opening his eyes would make his head hurt more, he moved his hand to rub his temple and felt... Something like.. Rubbery fabric sweep across his gloved fingers before his hand made it to his head.  
"Robin...?" This time Starfire spoke, she was almost giggling, he could hear it behind her words... But he also realized that her voice sounded like it was much closer than he originally imagined it–

No.

Robin opened his eyes and realized that he was not in fact on top of his bed that Beast Boy had stuck something stupid in, he was on top of one Starfire that he'd maybe like to–  
"Oh! You are awake! I thought that perhaps you had been out knocked, and deemed it unwise to move you or myself just yet.. But seeing as you are perfectly fine..." She trailed off and Robin made sure his hands were flat down on the ground and definitely nowhere else before trying to scramble away from her.

"Ooooooooh Rob! Looks like you were some kinda hero!" They heard Cyborg yell from across the room. Cyborg had heard Robin yell for Star twice, and looked up to see him pluck her out of the air in time to miss her invitation to know what it was like between a metal leg and a hard place. But maybe Robin was in one of those himself, now, because he'd landed in pretty precarious a position.

Oh God. Cyborg's voice made it much easier for Robin to scramble off of Starfire and manage to stand up composed, even though his laughing made the embarrassment much harder to bear. Before either of them could say anything in their defense, Cyborg's eyebrows raised and Robin turned around.

Red X was helping Starfire up, offering to dust her off if she saw it fit.  
"No thank you, Red X. I have not collected any of this dust you speak of." Her eyes narrowed menacingly at him as she crossed her arms.  
"Hey hey hey, Princess. Just trying to be of help." He raised his hands in the air, the smoothness of his voice and the chuckle right after his words causing Robin to grate his teeth very loudly.  
"Dude.. Chill." Cyborg muttered, putting a hand on his head. "She's not buying it."  
Robin sighed and unclenched both his fists and his jaw, "I didn't see you helping win the battle, Red X. I guess this wasn't that important to you." He snapped.  
"Oh I know. I never cared about the small fry. It was this I wanted." He held up a slightly beat-up VHS tape, tapping his index finger on his chin. "But I don't know who should destroy it. Would you like to have the honor, Princess?"

"Aw man.. You're not gonna let us watch it?" Beast Boy piped from over Cyborg's shoulder, seeming to come out of nowhere. Cyborg elbowed him in the stomach and he cried out.  
"Just shut up." The hybrid boy muttered to the changeling.  
"I have no preference as to who destroys this tape of video, Red X, as long as I see with my own eyes that it has happened." Starfire didn't take the tape as X offered it to her, and Robin failed in concealing his smile.  
"Okay. In that case, I'll do it right here, right now." And with that, X snapped the tape in two and dropped it to the ground. Beast Boy gasped, and Cyborg elbowed him again. "I'm trusting our little friend won't have copies." X said smugly, dusting his hands off.  
"Can we go home now?" Raven, who had also appeared from nowhere, was looking down at the destroyed tape.  
"Yeah. Let's go." Robin said, motioning for his team to leave the room.  
"Wait a sec, Princess. I haven't been able to say goodbye properly. Who knows when we may run into each other again?" X caught Starfire's hand as she turned to walk away, and she turned again to look up at him.  
"Goodbye, Red X." She said sternly. Robin liked the sound of that so much he turned to see what happened next, just to have his stomach fall as X took her chin in his hand and whispered something to her. Her eyes widened and Robin thought she almost smiled! But she shook her head and let go of X's hand.

"Burn the tape, please." She said lastly, walking away. Red X was left standing in Gizmo's bedroom, the pint-sized computer nerd now snoring in his broken pod, thanks to a punch in the face made by Beast Boy. The foelly chuckled as he watched them go.

- - - - -  
"Star. I can't believe you didn't let us watch it!" Beast Boy whined as they got back to the car.  
"It's none of your business. Leave her alone." Cyborg scolded him, a little too dramatically. Robin and Starfire looked at him oddly. "What? A lady needs her privacy!" He said. Beast Boy sighed as Cyborg then pressed the button to unlock the doors.  
"I call shotgun!" He yelled, smiling as he ran the rest of the way to the car.  
"Yeah right." Raven said, pushing him out of the way, opening the front passenger's seat and climbing in.  
"Unfair!" Beast Boy shrieked, pounding on the window of her now-closed car door.  
"HEY! Don't mess the car, man!" Cyborg yelled, waving a hand at the perpetrator. "Or I'll make both of you walk your butts home!"

Robin laughed as he picked his helmet up off the ground. He looked around for the spare one to hook to the back of the seat when he saw Starfire pick it up a couple feet away. "Ah, thanks Star. Beast Boy's such a dork.. He needs to learn that I'm not gonna let him ride on my R-Cycle either if he can't put the helmet back after using it." He smiled and reached out for the helmet. Starfire looked up at him and mirrored his smile.  
"I have yet to thank you for saving me." She mumbled. "It was quite courageous of you, being that you know of course I could have saved myself with less injury than you did." He saw her eyes look up to the bruise forming on his forehead, and he blinked.  
"Ah.. Well, you know I – and it was just like – well Star, you see..."  
Starfire giggled and shook her head. "Do not say anything more, Robin, or you may fall over your words and further hurt your head." Robin closed his mouth, but frowned slightly at her. His hand was still reaching for the helmet she held, but she didn't seem to notice it. She was staring at him, and though it was making him feel very embarrassed, he almost thought it would be okay to just lean forward and–

"Hey, Star?" It was Beast Boy that broke their eye contact. She shook herself out of her daze and looked his way. He was standing with the back door of the car open, apparently having already submitted to Raven's will and holding it for her to crawl in first.  
"Oh, no thank you, Beast Boy. I will be riding on the Cycle of R with Robin." She flashed him a huge smile and he blinked, shrugged, and crawled in himself.  
"We'll see you at the tower." Cyborg said, starting the car and driving off in a flash.

"I thought you were ma–" Robin started, but Starfire silenced him with a wink and pulled the helmet over her head. She then waited for him to do the same so they could leave.

- - - - -

Needless to say, Robin was terribly distracted on the way back to the tower. But this time, it was a nice, kind of fuzzy distraction. He was glad it had stopped raining, but the visor on his helmet was still kind of fogged up because of his nervous breathing, and he was so lost in his own thoughts he may have ran a red light or two.

But as they entered the tower, Starfire and Robin found Beast Boy and Cyborg sitting on the couch watching TV, and Raven boiling some water on the stove.

"Anyone hungry? I know I am." Cyborg announced, standing up.  
"I don't know if I can eat, I'm so disappointed about not seeing that tape." Beast Boy whined.  
"Dude. How many times do I have to tell you to shut up about that tape?" Cyborg warned, glaring at him.  
"Dude chill! Why do you care so much!" Beast Boy was standing now, too, shouting.  
"I TOLD YOU. A LADY NEEDS HER PRIVACY."  
"WELL BEAST BOY NEEDS HIS GOSSIP!"

Robin was watching this battle unfold with a smirk when he felt Starfire tap his shoulder. "Yeah?"  
"I am actually feeling the hunger in a great proportion, aren't you?" She asked.  
He thought for a moment that she was going to want to cook him something if he said he was hungry, too, and decided that maybe he should decline.  
"However... I do not believe what I am hungry for is currently in any of the bowlboards. Maybe it is upstairs in the book of phone numbers I have in my room of bed." She continued, nodding slightly for him to catch on.  
"Bowlboard? Starfire.. Do you mean.. Cupboard?" He asked, definitely not understanding her.  
"Yes, Robin. That is precisely what I meant." She was almost annoyed with him. It was then that they both heard a strange sound from Raven and turned to see her watching them.  
"Raven.. Did you just.. Laugh?" Robin asked, bewildered.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." She snapped, and turned away.  
"Robin!" Starfire huffed, stamping her foot. "You are entirely lacking clues!" The red-head then stomped to the hallway and disappeared from sight.  
"Wait.. What just happened...?" Robin asked himself, very confused.  
"This is when you follow her, stupid." Raven told him, raising her eyebrows.  
Robin was going to question, but thought better of it. Still confused, he ran a hand through his hair and did in fact follow Starfire, hearing "JUST SHUT UP ABOUT THE STUPID TAPE ALREADY" one more time before starting up the stairs towards her bedroom.

- - - - -

Robin still wasn't sure he should have been there, but he knocked on Starfire's door anyway.  
He heard her muttering to herself as she opened the door, and looked at him dully in the doorway.  
"What may I help you with, friend Robin?"  
For some reason, her tone made him wince. "Look.. Did I do something.. Wrong? I thought we were cool after I.. Needlessly saved your life and all."  
"Do not preoccupy yourself, Robin, we are as 'cool' as a watermelon and--"  
"Actually, Star. The saying goes 'cucumber', but--"  
"This is precisely what I am speaking of! You are... As they say, clueless!"  
"To what, Star? You haven't really said anything..." Clueless? What was that supposed to mean?  
"Robin. If you are upset with me because of the contents of the tape of video, I apologize. Perhaps I should not have told you what it contained after all." She looked as if she were about to close the door on his face, so he stopped her by putting one of his hands on it to keep it open.  
"No. Star, I'm really happy you told me what was on the tape. Yeah.. It kind of upsets me, but I shouldn't be mad at you for it. I shouldn't even be mad at all about it, because it's really none of my business what you and Red X do in your personal time." Boy was this hard to say. "So I'm sorry I got mad, but I'll just drop it from--"  
"Why is it that it is not of your business? Do you really believe it is not of your business, Robin?"  
Oh, did that put him on the spot. If he said yes it was his business, Robin could be crossing a line of which he didn't know the other side. On the other hand, if he said no, she may just call him clueless again and slam the door in his face. Actually, he'd probably get the door slammed in his face either way, but there had to be some kind of right answer.  
Which one was it? Was he going to lie to her to try and appease her, or should he just tell her?  
Was this what it all came to? Was he going to tell her now?  
Could he tell her now? What was he going to say? 'Oh Star, I love you and that's why I don't like that tape.'? No. That was stupid. She probably wouldn't even get it. Should he start some other conversation and just throw in the 'by the way, I'm harboring the fact that I've been madly in love with you for about as long as I've known you' part at the end?  
Should he tell her about his dreams? Okay no.  
What about telling her how beautiful she was, just standing there, all huffy and mad at him. Yeah. Even Robin thought it was a little weird that even though she looked like she might blast him, she was entirely gorgeous. Unreal.  
So what was he going to do? He couldn't just stand there all night, could he? 'ROBIN GRAB SOME BALLS AND JUST TELL HER! JUST SAY IT! IT ISN'T THAT HARD! I LOVE YOU STARFIRE, I LOVE YOU! SEE? YOU JUST SAID IT IN YOUR HEAD, NOW JUST MAKE IT COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!'

"Robin!"He looked down and saw her foot tapping at him. How long had he been standing there?  
'ROBIN PLEASE OBTAIN SOME FARKNOFFS AND TELL ME. IT IS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS YOU MAKE IT SEEM. I LOVE YOU ROBIN, I LOVE YOU. I SIMPLY NEED TO HEAR WITH MY OWN EARS THAT YOU DO IN FACT LOVE ME TOO BEFORE I WILL BE ABLE TO ACT UPON THIS.'

"I uh..." His hand raised to the back of his head and his eyes shot to the floor, "well, Starfire.. When you got here things well... I'm not sure how I should... I think you're just so.. No. I wanted to say that you know..." He stopped and took a deep breath. Mission failed. He smiled bitterly to himself, his mind going crazy at him as he looked back up at her. "I think I'm in–"

He didn't get to finish because she kissed him. It was as simple as that. She kissed him. She leaned over and met his face with hers.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to react. He almost didn't want to move, afraid that if he did he'd just wake up again... Like usual. So he stood there, doing nothing until she pulled away, looking a little disheartened. "Starfire, I--"  
"Did I guess wrong?" She asked, eyes widening. Oh no.  
He smiled. This was real. It was real. REAL. He almost wanted to spell it out loud: R- E - A - L. Real. Starfire just kissed him. Kissed him. And it was real. Not a dream.. Not some evil guy hooking him up to a fantasy device. Just real life. "No.. You didn't let me finish.." He said softly, looking down at the ground.  
"Finish what?" She asked, really scared now that she had made some kind of mistake. Racking her brain for some way to get out of this.  
"Finish telling you that I'm in love with you, Starfire." He now raised his chin in an almost cocky manner, looking her in the eye and placing a hand on her shoulder.  
"Say that again..." She blinked the impending tears back, a little confused now.  
"Starfire. I'm in love with you. You drive me crazy. I wanted to murder Red X tonight every time he looked at you, I actually want to murder a lot of strangers on the street every time they look at you. I, Robin, am hopelessly in love with you." He paused and she smiled. "And I had to say that because you didn't let me finish."  
Starfire smiled ruefully and with one hand pushed his arm away from her, "no Robin, you are mistaken. For you see, it is you that did not let me finish."  
The electricity they felt as she pushed herself into him and kissed him again wasn't one that would be picked up on Cyborg's radar, nor was the heat between them the kind that Beast Boy's snake form would be able to sense; but these two forces were just as real as the wall Robin was deliciously crushing her against, his fingers in her hair, their lips smacking together, and the pair of tongues working together as naughty little explorers in the new world they'd just discovered for themselves.

- - - - -

"Are you guys done yet?" Raven drawled, sitting down in the armchair next to the couch.  
"Well yeah. I guess Star does need her privacy." Beast Boy sighed, relenting. Robin had only left the room a moment ago, and the green teen realized that he'd never know what was on the tape and that he should just let it go. Maturity? Maybe.  
"What are you talking about, man? Privacy shmivacy, I wanna see what's on this tape." Cyborg said, grinning from ear to ear.  
Beast Boy dead-panned. "What! But it – Red X smashed – and you said-- "  
"Shut up. You don't think I scanned that VHS's tape roll from where X was standing before he destroyed it? Boy, you don't know me too well, now do you?" Cyborg was looking smugly at Beast Boy, who was stunned on the couch next to him.  
"So you mean...?"  
"Yessiree." Cyborg confirmed, opening his arm panel.  
"And we're gonna..?"  
"Duh! Raven, turn on the TV for me while I find this, will ya? I think BB's a little too excited at the moment to function."  
"You guys are not seriously going to watch it, are you?" Raven asked, sipping her tea.  
"Why not?" Cyborg asked.  
"What if it's something you really don't want to see? Like... Something... Disgusting?"  
Cyborg paused. She had a point. He didn't mind invading Star's privacy, but watching her do something like that would be..  
"Rae, you just don't think, do you? All we have to do is look at the rating. If it's R or X or something, Cy will just erase it, right?" Beast Boy was smiling gleefully, scrambling to find the remote to turn on the TV. He didn't notice for a couple seconds that Cyborg and Raven were staring at him with the funniest looks on their faces. "What?"  
"BB. You have got to be the dumbest titan of them all." Cyborg said, shaking his head.  
A paper cup flew itself from the kitchen and hit Beast Boy in the head. "Ow! Where did that even come from, Raven?" He glared at her in her chair, but she looked at the ceiling in a fake innocence, smirking faintly.  
"Well I guess we'll just take our chances. If it seems like it's going somewhere bad, we'll turn it off." Cyborg reasoned, looking at Beast Boy for approval.  
"Yeah! Great idea!"  
Raven rolled her eyes skeptically. "I can't watch this." With that, she stood up and walked back to the kitchen.  
Beast Boy watched her sit down in the kitchen, in full view of the TV. "Uh... Rae"  
"What, Beast Boy?" She said shortly.  
"You know you can still see the TV there, right?" He asked, pointing to the huge screen.  
"Shut up." Was all she responded with, refilling her mug and sitting down at one of the bar stools to watch.  
Beast Boy smiled. "Rae, you dog!" The same paper cup from before hit him again. "Owww. Okay I'll shut up." He sat back down in his place on the couch, rubbing the back of his head as Cyborg pressed a series of buttons on his panel.  
"Alright. Are you good and ready?" Cyborg asked eagerly, plopping down heavily onto the couch next to Beast Boy.  
"Yes yes yes!" The green teen was pounding his fists on his thighs, jumping up and down.

Secrets were never good in the tower. They were just bad for the mental health and well being of everyone.

The cartoon playing on the TV went black when Cyborg pressed play, and because this was a recorded tape and lacked any of the Digital Sound or MGM Studios intro music, the two boys on the couch made their own sound effects to make up. Raven just rolled her eyes from her seat in the kitchen.

When the picture actually came on, it showed a very pretty but obviously enhanced woman talking dramatically to an also handsome but fake-looking man.  
"...What is this?" Beast Boy asked, frowning.  
"Looks like... All My Young and Restless Husbands.." Cyborg said, also frowning.  
"The soap opera?" Beast Boy's voice became a little shrill.  
The attractive woman screamed something about a dirty cheater and threw a glass of water conveniently sitting on the table in front of her in the man's face. "Yeah... The soap opera." Raven drawled from the kitchen.  
"So... Was it the wrong tape then, Cy?" Beast Boy asked, almost in tears.  
"I dunno.. If it was.. It means Gizmo still has the other one." Cyborg was trying to think but couldn't take his eyes off the TV. "No girl, let him have it. He doesn't deserve you!" He shouted at the screen.  
"Cy... Snap out of it." Beast Boy said dully.  
"Yeah.. Sorry. But if Gizmo has it what are we gonna– No! Don't let him kiss you, girl! You know he's a dirty cheat!" He yelled, smashing his fist on the table next to him.  
"Oh come on, Cy. This is bad bec– Hey where'd she come from? Oh she's the mistress? Yeahhh she looks mad!" Beast Boy's attention was rapt on the screen as well. Raven again rolled her eyes from the kitchen.  
"Beast Boy, you're an idiot. She is obviously the woman's daughter, and that is her boyfriend." Raven stayed in the kitchen through her plot guesses.  
"No, look! Oooh she slapped her! That biatch is gonna – oh look they're fighting!" Beast Boy was grinning justas the dirty cheat on the tape was.  
"Yeah hit her!" Cyborg was chanting, bouncing up and down on the couch, and even Raven was on the edge of her bar stool, muttering about betraying parents and boyfriends.

"Oh. Oh. She took her shirt off! Rae, do you wear underwear like that?" Beast Boy's eyes were like saucers, glued to the screen.  
Not the cup but the phone on the table flew to smack him this time, and he yelped in pain. "I just thought they were pretty!" He rubbed the back of his head where a bump was rising.  
"Ahhhh man this is AWESOME!" Just as Cyborg stood up and cheered, the scene changed with a little static to a booted foot on top of a dirt road. "WHAT THE HE--"  
_  
"Look! A bug! Man, I'm gonna be a good photographer."_

The voice on the tape sounded like Gizmo, which was affirmed as he swung the camera towards himself to wave. He was in what looked like a park, brushing up on what he called his "cinemotanmatography skills" by filming bugs and birds.

"Who knew Gizmo was such a nature freak?" Cyborg commented, watching the screen weirdly now.  
"This is.. Bizarre." Raven said, finally getting out of her bar stool and moving to sit next to Beast Boy on the couch.  
"Shh.. Watching." Cyborg waved a hand at her, eyes sticking to the screen as the camera swivelled to look at something in a tree.

_"Oh, look! A cat! It's stuck!"_ The camera zoomed in on a cat meowing piteously and clutching to one of the branches of the tree. _"Poooooooor kitty!"_ He cried, jumping up and down to try and save it, but he was too short.  
_"Oh! Listen, everyone!"_

"This guy is seriously a freak." Beast Boy said decisively, but Raven and Cyborg shushed him.

Gizmo was silent, but singing could be heard, which got louder with time. A very familiar singing that wasn't in english. _"Oh it's that snot-faced titan girl." _Gizmo whispered into the camera, zooming in on Starfire's approaching figure, plucking apart a flower she held in her hands while maintaining her song.  
The camera backed up with some shuffling, and it became apparent by the grazing of leafy branches that Gizmo had hidden himself in some random bush by the tree to better watch Starfire.

"Dude.. That is so freaky!" Beast Boy pointed at the screen, frowning in disgust, and was shushed yet again.

Starfire sat down at the base of the tree and finished plucking the petals off her flower. With this, she stopped singing and looked up at the sky. It wasn't long until the camera showed her hearing the kitten's meows, and discovering it in the tree. _"Oh, you poor little glorbwittle!"_ She cried, placing a hand over her mouth.  
_"Have no fear, Red X is here!"  
_Very very randomly, Red X came dashing up the path. Starfire frowned to see him coming, but stood watching instead of readying herself to attack.  
_"Hello, sweet princess."_ He said, tapping his forehead as a boy scout or something might do as a greeting.  
_"Salutations, Red X. What brings you here this afternoon? A new crime, perhaps?"_ She asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.  
_"No.. Actually, that kitten up there.. She's mine. I lost her a couple days ago, and someone told me they'd found a kitten in a tree that wouldn't come down."_ Likely story, if it hadn't been a villain telling it. Starfire herself looked skeptical.  
_"I do not believe that that kitten is your kitten, Red X. And I will remove her from her plight in the tree and take her to the proper authorities." _She said imperiously, floating into the air to get the kitten.  
Red X stayed on the ground, shaking his head sadly.  
_"Come here, small cat. Starfire will rescue you!"_ But the kitten, huge-eyed, fuzzy and adorable a second ago, turned into a hissing, spitting, bristle-haired little demon with slits for eyes and huge fangs threatening to bite her wannabe rescuer. Still, Starfire tried to grab it, sure it was only frightened of the height, but was scratched.  
Frightened, Starfire returned to the ground, sucking one of her fingers. _"Ow.."_ She whined, looking at the bleeding scratch.  
_"I hate to say I told you so, Princess... But I told you so." _Red X said, holding his hand out to see the scratch.  
_"I apologize for not believing you before_." She said, putting her hand in his for him to inspect it. She watched him for awhile as he brought one of the x's from his belt and wrapped it around the cut. Apparently, it made as a band-aid, because Starfire gasped in delight and brought Red X into a great hug. _"Thank you! Thank you, Red X!"_ She cried.  
As he struggled to breathe, X pushed her away, gasping for air, but laughing._ "You're quite welcome, cutie. Now let me see your finger one more time." _Without question she put her hand in his, and he brought her finger to the part of his mask where his mouth would be and pressed it there a moment. Starfire colored a mad tomato hue and dropped her hand, giggling.  
_"Now, let me get my Fluffy."_ He said, jumping into one of the lower branches of the tree and beckoning for the again adorable kitten to come to him, clicking his tongue and snapping his fingers in her direction.  
The kitten immediately jumped from her branch onto his hand, purring and rubbing herself against him as he brought her close to jump down. _"See, Princess? It's all about the loyalty."  
"Oh nuts, this is boring."_ Whispered Gizmo, and the tape turned off. Static followed. A whole lot of static while the three of them stared at the screen.

"What! That's it?" Cyborg exclaimed, getting to his feet. "That can_not_ be it!" He was pressing buttons madly on his panel, but nothing happened.  
"I thought it was sweet." Beast Boy said, his hands in his lap and his eyes all aglow.  
"Sweet? That was sickening." Raven spat, getting up to get more boiling water for the tea leaves in the bottom of her mug. "I can see why Red X was so embarrassed."  
"Why?" Beast Boy asked, "he was awesome! 'Have no fear! Beast Boy is here!'" He shouted, flipping an imaginary cape and standing with his chest puffed out.  
"BB... No." Cyborg said, watching him with one eyebrow raised. "I still say it was lame. With a capital L and everything. No action. Red X was scared of people finding out he had a _CAT_? And what was Starfire tripping on? A kiss on the finger?" Cyborg shook his head.  
"Well it made Robin mad enough." Beast Boy said, shrugging. "He was really upset while we were waiting for all of you to get to Gizmo's shack."  
"Well of course. It's Robin. He wants to murder people on the street for _looking _at Starfire. I'm going to my room." Raven was gathering a couple of books off the counter when the remote fell to the floor. She picked it up and looked at it a moment. "Hey. You guys wanna press rewind?"  
"We're waaay ahead of you, Rae!" Beast Boy chimed as he bounced into the kitchen, opening the microwave, shoving something in, and pressing popcorn before watching the little light cook his food.

"Do we get to watch the soap again?" Cyborg asked, grinning.  
"Cyborg.. Guys aren't supposed to like soap operas." Raven pointed, sitting back down on the couch next to him, ignoring Beast Boy's counting down.  
"Psh. Raven, you act like you don't watch things you're not supposed to." He said slyly, looking over at her.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, looking up at him.  
"I'm just saying that you're a lot meaner to BB in words of mouth than your eyes are to him."  
"WHAT!" Raven became enveloped in black light, even though her cheeks were tinged with pink.  
"No, man. Don't trip. He can't hear us.. But maybe I should get one of these video camera thingies. Set it up in different places around the house. Who knows what we might see? For all we know, Star and Rob are up there making out right now."  
Beast Boy, coming back into the room, plopped down on the couch. "Who's making out?" He asked.  
"No one. Cyborg just seems to like entertaining perverted fantasies about his friends in his head." Raven said, reaching for the bowl in Beast Boy's lap at what happened to be the same time he did. Their hands touched and Cyborg couldn't help but laugh.  
"No. You guys just make it too easy for me." He was still laughing when the popcorn bowl was turned upside down on his head.

**END**

* * *

YES. This is the LAST CHAPTER! CRASH AND BURN IS NOW FINISHED.  
Are you disappointed! Haha! I kinda am.. But I told myself the tape wouldn't be perverted like.. In chapter 2.. So I made it very tame. I think it's kinda cute! It's kinda weak, but I wanted to just get it over with.

I really really didn't expect to finish this today.. So I don't know if I'll update yet. I mean.. I just updated yesterday, right? I've gotta keep you guys waiting a LITTLE longer, yeah? Maybe if I can't wait, I'll do it today. But you'll probably get this Tuesday or Wednesday.. So yeah.

My action scene sucked. I can't describe kicks and turns and stuff.. So I just kinda poofed it. Haha sorry.

Well.. I still have that other story coming! It's allll about Beast Boy and a Love Potion, so wait for it, kay? It shouldn't be too long until it gets finished. And there are a few others I want to maybe start.. And I really really want to do like.. Jimmy Neutron or Sailor Moon or something.. But that'll come another day.  
HECK YES TO ELEVEN PAGES. )

READ AND REVIEW. Please. hehe.


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